1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image manipulating system, and more particularly, to an image manipulating system having an interval recording means for repeatedly recording supplied image information at set time intervals.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image recording/reproducing system, which acts as an image manipulating system using a floppy disk, a memory card, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magnetic tape, or the like as a recording medium can perform interval recording of still images once and again at set recording time intervals. The recording time interval is, independent of a recording medium employed, specified with respect to a type of recording medium whose access speed is lowest among those of applicable types of media.
Shortest times of recording time intervals that are applicable corresponding to the types of recording media for the image recording/reproducing system are 10 sec for a floppy disk and 1 sec for a memory card and hard disk in a mode of digital image data compression recording.
As mentioned above, the shortest times of recording time intervals are considerably different among the different types of recording media. Even when interval recording is desired to be performed at as short time intervals as is possible, a time interval must be restricted in the longest time period with respect to a type of recording medium whose access speed is lowest among those of applicable types of recording media. Even when a recording medium employed offers a high access speed, recording must be performed at relatively longer time intervals. This is acceptable.
An image manipulating system having a memory device and a means for assigning a file name for information to be recorded is provided so that the information can be formatted as a file and then stored in the memory device. The means for assigning the file name include means to generate a file identifier including at least two trains of characters. Onee train of characters includes fixed characters and the other train of characters includes a filed number. A value of the file number is generated by incrementing a file number of a file name previously assigned and stored in the memory device.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for producing a file name in an image manipulating system having a memory device. The method includes, in response to a file name production request, performing the steps of: (a) creating a fixed number of character representing a file name; (b) creating a number of characters representing a file number associated with the file name created in step (a); and (c) storing the file name and file number in the memory device. Preferably, step (b) further includes creating a file number by incrementing a file number associated with a file name previously created and stored in the memory device.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the description below.